Expansible building structure



eb. 21, 1939. A. B. GRAY 7,89

EXPANSIBLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 21, 1957 s Sheets- Sheet 1 W 46L W 1 I lllllllll} Muewor E'Zg.

Feb. 21, 1939. A, BY R EXPANSIBLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 21, 19373 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 jmemor A. B. GRAY Feb. 21, 1939.

EXPANS I BLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,147,892. EXPANSIBLEBUILDING srauo'runn Archie B. Gray, Shannon City, Iowa ApplicationJanuary 21, 1937, Serial No. 121,533

9 Claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a building structure relativelylong and narrow, such, for instance, as an automobile trailer, which maybe readily, quickly and easily expanded to c I proximately twice itsoriginal width, and again contracted.

More specifically, it is my object to provide a structure of this classin which, upon the manual operation of a shaft on the foundation frame,the side walls, the end walls and the roof will be simultaneously movedto their expanded positions, and in the same manner returned totheir-contracted positions.

A. further object is to provide a structure of this class in which allof the joints between the various elements of the structure will automatically assume substantially weather tight positions when fullyexpanded or fully contracted.

A further object is to provide a structure of this class in which all ofthe various elements of the structure will be automatically held inposition against adjacent structural elements, under tension, eitherwhen fully expanded or fully contracted, to thereby avoid rattling andfriction.

A further object is to provide simple, durable and inexpensive means formoving the floor section from fully extended to fully contractedpositions and back, and to securely hold the folding floor sectionsunder tension when in its contracted position.

A. further object is to provide an improved folding floor for theextensible sides of the trailer which, when in folded position, willextend upwardly adjacent the side wall only a short distance so thatwhen in folded position it will not interfere with the furniture,plumbing, cabinets, etc., usually fixed to the side wall a shortdistance above the floor, and further to provide means for moving thefolding floor sections quickly and easily from one position to the otherby the same operation as is used to extend and contract the side walls,thereby adding to the ease and convenience of the operator in moving theentire structure from collapsed to extended position and back.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a side elevation of myimproved building structure in its fully collapsed position.

Figure 2 shows a similar view in its fully expanded position.

Figure 3 shows an end elevation of same with one of the upright sidewalls and associated members in a fully extended position and the otherside wall and associated members in fully contracted position. Thedotted lines show this latter side wall in its fully extended position.

Figure 4 shows a detail'sectional view of a portion of the roofillustrating the manner in which the hinged roof section is made toassume a weather tight condition when expanded.

Figure 5 shows a central transverse vertical sectional view of myimproved building structure in its fully collapsed position.

Figure 6 shows an enlarged detail vertical sectional view on the line6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows an enlarged detail horizontal sectional view showing onecorner of the structure just above the floor.

Figure 8 shows an enlarged detail sectional view on the line 8-3 ofFigure 3.

Figure 9 shows a detail horizontal sectional view of a modificationshowing a portion of the main floor, a portion of the folding floor andthe mechanism for folding and unfolding the folding floor.

Figure 10 shows a detail vertical sectional view of same taken on theline lfliil of Figure 9; and

Figure 1-1 shows a vertical sectional view of the same parts shown inFigure 9; the dotted lines show the folded positions of the floor andadjacent side wall.

My improved building structure comprises a foundation frame indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral ill, and preferably made ofstructural steel. This frame is of the maximum length of the structure,but its width is that of the. structure when fully collapsed, such, forinstance, as may be used as an automobile trailer. At each end of thefoundation frame there is an upright end wall member M which is also ofthe minimum width of the structure. One or both of these end walls hasformed therein a door opening, as indicated at It in Figure 5, and adoor ii for said opening, and the two end walls support the main roofsection it. All of said foundation frame, end walls and roof arepreferably supported by structural steel frame members.

Each of the end wall members has associated with it two uprightextension end wall members I5. These extension end wall members areslidingly mounted in grooved supports it, shown in Figures 2 and 3,which grooved supports extend inwardly only to the door opening 12, asshown in Figure 3.

The inner upright portions of these extension end wall members areprovided with hinged sections i'l hinged to the sections l5, as shown inFigure 3. When these extension end wall members are in their fullycollapsed position, as shown at the right in Figure 3, the door sectionI! may be opened. When, however, they are in their fully extendedposition, as shown at the left in Figure 3, the door section I! is heldagainst opening movement because it is held in the grooved support I6.

The side walls are indicated generally by the reference numeral i8.These side walls have at their lower edges a series of channel bars I9,as shown in Figure 6, extending horizontally across the foundation frameand then upwardly, and the foundation frame is provided with a channelbar in which the channel bars I9 are slidingly mounted; preferably theinner ends of the channel bars 19 are provided with rollers 2| to engagethe channel bar 20 to avoid friction, while the outer ends of saidchannel bars are supported by rollers 2|a secured to the frame memberIll. The channel bars 20 extend from the side walls inwardly to a pointadjacent the opposite side of the foundation frame.

Said extension end wall members 15 are fixed at their outer edges to theadjacent, side wall member I8, as shown in Figure 7, so that as the sidewall members are moved outwardly and inwardly, these end wall members i5will be correspondingly moved. For the purpose of limiting the outwardmovement of the side and extension end wall members I have provided onthe foundation frame an upright angle bar 22 at the corner of thefoundation frame, one flange of which extends inwardly toward thelongitudinal center of the structure, and on the inner end of the endwall member I5 I have formed a sealing hook 23 extending up and down thefull length of the end wall member, and these parts are so shaped that,when the side wall and the end wall member i 5 are moved outwardly fromthe position shown in Figure 7, this sealing hook 23 will engage andreceive the adjacent flange of the angle bar 22 and thereby limit theoutward movement of the side wall and at the same time form a weathertight seal at this point.

The inward limit of movement of the side wall members is determined bythe engagement thereof with the adjacent portions of the end walls whenin fully collapsed position.

Mounted on top of the foundation frame is a central or stationary floorsection 24, being approximately the width of the complete structure whenfully collapsed. At each side edge thereof there is a folding floorsection 25 hinged to the main floor section, and capable of swingingfrom a vertical position, as shown in Figure 5, to a horizontalposition. When these floor sections 25 are in upright position, as shownin Figure 5, they engage the frame members 26 on the end wall members,as shown in Figure 5, to thereby limit their inward movement, and theseupright frame members 23 also support the pulleys 21 hereinafterdescribed.

For the purpose of raising and lowering these hinged floor members Ihave provided a shaft 28 mounted in the foundation frame and extendedlongitudinally thereof near the center. This shaft has a pulley 23 fixedto it, and a flexible cable 30 is attached at one end to, and is woundupon, the pulley 29, and its other end is extended upwardly over thepulley 21 and attached to the adjacent floor section 25. On one end ofthis shaft 28 is a notched wheel 32, and a pawl 33 is pivoted adjacentto the notched wheel so that it may look the shaft in any desiredposition of its movement.

In operation with this part of the structure,

and assuming that the side walls are in their extended positions, thenin order to fold the floor sections 25 downwardly, the operator manuallyoperates the shaft 23 in the direction required for permitting the cableto unwind from the pulley to permit the floor section to folddownwardly, and when it is desired to raise the floor section 25, theshaft 28 is operated in the opposite direction, and the floor section isthen folded up against the frame member 26 and tension is applied to thecable before it is locked by the pawl, hence, when in this position thefloor members are held under tension against the frame members, to avoidrattling.

For moving the side walls inwardly and outwardly I have provided a shaft34 mounted in the foundation frame at about its longitudinal center, andhaving a pulley 35 fixed thereto. A cable 36 is fixed to an arm 31 atthe lower portion of the side wall member and extended around the pulley35, and its other end is fixed to an arm 38 on the end portion of thechannel bar I 9 of the opposite side wall. A similar cable arrangementis provided for the other side wall.

On the end of the shaft 34 is a notched wheel 39, and a pawl 40 isassociated therewith. In operation, when the shaft 34 is rotated in onedirection, and assuming that the parts are in the position shown inFigure 5, then the end of the cable attached to the arm 38 which isattached to the outer end of the long channel bar 20 will be movedtoward the left and the left side wall will be moved to the left, andwhen the shaft 34 is turned in the opposite direction, the end of thecable that is attached to the adjacent arm 31 will be moved toward theright, as shown at the left lower portion of Figure 5, and by that meansthe side walls will be moved inwardly.

When the side walls are thus moved either inwardly or outwardly thecables attached thereto are brought under tension and the pawl 40 movedto locked position. Thereupon the side walls are held under tensioneither in their fully expanded or fully contracted positions, to avoidrattling.

There are two extension roof members, one on each side. These areindicated by the reference numeral 4| and are hingedly connected to thevmain roof member l4. This main roof member is preferably made of twospaced apart layers of sheetmetal with insulating material between them.The upper sheet metal layer projects downwardly and outwardly at 42, asshown in Figure 4, and the hinge 43 is arranged below this extendingroof member 42. The extension roof member has its upper layer of metalprojected beyond the lower layer, and the position of the hinge is suchthat its lower roof member,

when swung to the position shown in Figure 4, has its upper layerprojecting under the extension 42 to form a water tight joint. Thishinged roof member, however, may freely swing downwardly to the positionshown in Figure 5.

For the purpose of automatically raising and lowering these roof membersand holding them firmly in position when at either limit of movement, Ihave provided on each of the roof members 4| a channel 44, and on theadjacent corner of each of the end wall members I5 I have provided aroller 45 movable in said channel. By this means, when the end wallmembers are moved outwardly from the position shown in Figure 5, therollers 45 operating in the channels 44 raise the roof member 4| to theposition shown in Figure 4, and securely hold it in that position, thenwhen the end wall members I! are moved inwardly, the roller, operates insaid channel bar in the manner required to fold the roof member into adownwardly extended position and there hold it securely against swingingmovement.

In Figure l I have shown latches 4B which may be used to hold the loweredges of the roof member firmly against the adJacent side wall memberwhen in its folded position, and in Figure 3 I have shown a door latchdevice 41 for securing together the two door sections I! when thestructure is in its fully collapsed position.

In practical use, and assuming that my improved structure is used as anautomobile trailer. it may be of any suitable length, but not greater inwidth than that required by trafnc regulations for trailers. When inthis position the structure maybe used as a trailer and all of themovable wall, floor and roof structural members are held under tensionagainst each other to thereby avoid rattling and wear.

When it is desired to utilize the structure as v a building it is onlynecessary for the operator to rotate the shaft 34 by hand, and the sidewalls, extension end walls and extension roof members will allsimultaneously quickly and easily be moved to their extended position,and at the completion of this movement they are all of themautomatically placed in substantially weather-tight condition and firmlyheld in said positions under tension. After the side walls have beenextended, then the extension floor members may be quickly and easilylowered in position for use by turning the shaft 28.

When it is desired to again move the structure to its fully contractedposition for trailer purposes or the like, the operator simply firstmanipulates the shaft to fold the floor sections upwardly, and thenturns the other shaft in position for simultaneously moving the sidewalls inwardly, the extension end Walls inwardly and the extension roofmembers downwardly, and the shaft is turned enough so that the cable isput under tension to hold said parts firmly together under tension toavoid rattling. a

In the modification shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 I have substituted forthe single folding fioor section 25 a floor formed of two sections 48and 49 hinged together longitudinally, the outer edge of the section 48being connected by hinges 50 with the adjacent side wall i8, and theinner edge of the floor section 49 being connected by hinges 5| with themain floor 24.

For operating these floor sections in unison with the expanding andcontracting movements of the side walls I have provided a pulley 52 onthe shaft 34, and to this pulley I have fixed a flexible cable 53 whichextends horizontally outwardly and passes under a pulley 54 at the loweredge of the adjacent side wall, then upwardly a short distance and overa pulley 55 fixed to the adjacent ,side wall, then downwardly andinwardly and under a pulley 56 fixed to the central portion of thefolding floor, and then upwardly and inwardly to a bracket 51 fixed tothe stationary upright 22.

In order to make the folding floor weather proof and dust tight I form aseries of alternate extensions 58 with recesses between them, place ahinge rod 59 below the floor and curve the said extension around thehinge rod with the ends of said extensions overlapping the top of theadjacent fioor section. This also braces the floor between the fioorsupports l9. The floor sections are preferably made of thinsheet metalso that the overlapping extensions are not objectionable.

-to said walls above the floor.

In practical operation with this form of floor, I have demonstrated thatwhen the parts are in the position shown in Figure 11 and the pulley isturned in the direction of its top turning toward the right, then thecable 53 will pull upwardly upon the pulley 5B and fold the floor to theposition shown by the dotted lines 59a. This folded floor is flatagainst the side wall l8 and extends upwardly only a short distance sothat it does not interfere with the various articles of furniture,plumbing, cabinets or the like usually fixed When the side wall is movedoutwardly the hinges 50 and Si serve to move the floor to horizontalposition and the pulley 5B pulls the cable 53 downwardly at that point.It is to be understood that a similar pulley and cable structure isprovided at each end of the trailer.

The pulley 52 is attached to the same shaft as the pulley 35 which aidsin contracting and expanding the side walls, hence, the operator needturn only the one crank on the shaft 34 to contract each fixed at oneend to one of the said walls.

wound upon said pulley, a bar fixed to each side wall and extendedtransversely of the structure to a point adjacent the other side wall,said cables having their other ends attached to said bars,

in such manner that a rotation of the pulley in one direction will moveboth side walls outwardly and a rotation of the pulley in the oppositedirec tion will move both side walls inwardly.

2. In a building structure, the combination of a foundation frame, sidewalls, means for supporting the side walls in upright positions on themain frame and for permitting the side walls to move outwardly andinwardly, means for limiting the outward and inward movements of theside walls, a shaft carried by the foundation frame, a pulley on saidshaft, two flexible cables each fixed at one end to one of the sidewalls, wound upon said pulley, a bar fixed to each side wall andextended transversely of the structure to a point adjacent theothersidewall, said cables having their other ends attached to said bars, insuch manner that a rotation of the pulley in one direction will moveboth side walls outwardly and a rotation of the pulley in the oppositedirection will move both side walls inwardly, and means for locking thepulley against rotation when the cables have been placed under tensionat either limit of their movement.

3. In a building structure, the combination of a foundation frame, sidewalls, means for supporting the side walls in upright positions on themain frame and for permitting the side walls to move outwardly andinwardly, means for limiting the outward and inward movements of theside walls, a shaft carried by the foundation frame, a pulley on saidshaft, two flexible cables each fixed at one end to one of the sidewalls. wound upon said pulley, a bar fixed to each side wall andextended transversely of the structure to a point adjacent the otherside wall, said cables having their other ends attached to said bars, in

such manner that a rotation of the pulley in one direction will moveboth side walls outwardly and a rotation of the pulley in the oppositedirection will move both side walls inwardly, and means for locking thepulley against rotation when the cables have been placed under tensionat either limit of their movement, said means comprising a notched discfixed to the shaft and a pawl carried by the foundation frame.

4. In a building structure, the combination of a foundation frame, sidewalls, means for supporting the side walls in upright positions on themain frame and for permitting the side walls to move outwardly andinwardly, a main fioor section carried by the foundation frame, a sidefioor section hinged to each side edge of the main fioor section, meansfor limiting the movement of the side fioor sections when they assumeapproximately upright positions, and means for simultaneously swingingsaid side floor sections from horizontal to upright positions and back,comprising a shaft carried by the foundation frame, a pulley on theshaft, a cable for each side floor section fixed atone end to the outeredge of the side fioor section and fixed to and wound upon the pulley,and an elevated pulley for guiding the end portion of the cable which isattached to the side fioor section.

5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a frame, amain roof section fixed to the frame, an extension roof section hingedto the main roof section, a side wall supported by the frame formovement outwardly and inwardly relative to the frame, and means appliedto the side wall and extension roof section for automatically raisingthe extension roof section as the side wall moves outwardly and loweringit as the side wall moves inwardly, and for holding the extension roofsection against swinging movements on its hinge when in any position ofits movement.

6. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a frame, amain roof section fixed to the frame, an extension roof section hingedto the main roof section, a side wall supportedv by the frame formovement outwardly and inwardly relative to the frame, a grooved trackcarried by the extension roof section, and a roller carried 'by the sidewall and fitted into the groove for the purposes stated.

7. In a building structure of the class described,

the combination of a frame, an end wall fixed to the frame, twoextension end wall members slidingly mounted adjacent the outer surfaceof said end wall, means for jointly moving them toward and from eachother, and means for limiting their movements in both directions, saidend wall being formed with a centrally arranged door opening and saidextension wall sections each having a hinged door at its inner edge andgrooved guides fixed to the frame to receive the lower edges of theextension wall sectionsto hold the hinged portions thereof in line whenthe extension wall sections are at their outer limit of movement.

8. The combination with a building structure having a fixed frame, afixed fioor thereon, and a side wall movable outwardly and inwardlyrelative to the fixed frame, of a folding fioor structure comprising twolongitudinally arranged floor sections hinged together at their adjacentedges and one hinged to'a part of the fixed frame and the other hingedto a part of the movable side wall, means for raising the hingedtogether edges of the fioor sections and for moving the side wallinwardly, said means comprising a shaft, a pulley and cable structureoperated by the shaft for moving the side wall inwardly and outwardlyand a pulley and cable structure operated by the same shaft forelevating the hinged together edges of the floor sections during theinward movement of the side wall.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination of a fixed framemember, a side wall movable outwardly and inwardly relative to the fixedframe member, two floor sections hinged together at their adjacentedges, one of them hinged at its inner edge to the fixed frame memberand the other hinged at the outer edge to the movable side walls, acable attached at one end to a part of the fixed frame member, extendeddownwardly and toward the hinged together edges of the fioor sections, apulley carried by the fioor sections adjacent their hinged togetheredges, said cable being passed under said pulley, a pulley carried bythe movable side wall, said cable being extended upwardly and outwardlyand being passed around the upper side of said pulley, and means forapplying power to said cable in the direction for raising thehingedtogether edges of the fioor sections.

ARCHIE B. GRAY.

